Family, Life, Books, Writing & Random

Cleora Killen

When I was going through all pictures I found in the my grandmothers china cabinet I came across this one. It brought back all kinds of memories that Cleora shared with me. But this one really touched me. You see Cleora was one those girls back in the day that didn’t need a man… She always taught me that you have depend on yourself, you don’t need to depend on others for your own happiness, security, whatever. and she was kind wild back in the day too. But, whatever man you decide to chose you have him by your side because you want him there not because you need him there. I guess she thought this way because her father died when she was really young like a baby, She had a good stepdad though as far a providing, but not emotional. Any how when she was young she was wild and would date she said that her and her friends would go to the USO dances and hang out like the kids did back in the day. She would tell me stories how she would make 2 dates for one night hit the dance then would sneak out the bathroom window to go meet her other date… yep ole Cleora was a wild one… She met up with my grandfather and tried to ditch him one night, but he was on to her. Any how her and my grandfather had my uncle together before they were married and She refused to marry my grandfather. Said that She didn’t need to marry him just because they have a baby together. She caught a lot grief for not marrying him right away, but she was not marrying a man because society thought she needed to, she was going to marry a man because she wanted too and she sure as Hell was not going to marry a man who thought he needed to marry her. I think my Uncle was almost 3 or 4 years old before they finally got married. I guess my grandfather wore her down. This is them around 1942.